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California Governor Jerry Brown walks with advisors to a press conference about his proposed budget at the California State Capitol on January 10, 2011 in Sacramento, California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

According to Governor Jerry Brown in a news conference this afternoon, if voters reject tax increases proposed in his 2012 state budget, he will call for $4.8 billion to be cut from public school funding.

The budget, which indicates that the state has a deficit of 9.2 billion, was mistakenly revealed online this morning, several days before the planned release date, causing the governor’s office to organize an afternoon press conference to provide details. The proposed tax increases would mostly be felt by the wealthiest Californians, but would also include a half-cent sales tax increase; the increases would bring in $7 billion a year for five years. Even if the tax increases are approved, the governor intends to cut welfare by nearly $1 billion and Medi-Cal by $842 million among other budget reductions.

WEIGH IN:

How will schools in Los Angeles and across California be able to handle losing the monetary equivalent of three weeks of school if Brown’s proposed tax increases are rejected? What other options, if any, should the governor take into consideration while administering the budget?